Grain-car door



G. A. F. JOHNSON.

GRAIN CAR DOOR.

APPLICATION men APR. 11, 1920.

1,358,373. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

'i'i'ffii UNITED STATES PATENT o FFIcE.

GUST A. F. J ClI-I.'L\TSO1\T, F NEWMAN GROVE, NEBRASKA.

GRAIN-CAR noon.

Application filed April 17, 1920. Serial No. 374,676.

panying drawings.

a device of this kind,

'very simple, eflicient and overlying the opposite side edges or This invention relates to an improved grain door for use in connection with grain cars, trucks and the like, to provide a device of this kind, which is practical in construction and capable of being cheaply made and sold and applied to a car at a reasonable profit.

Another object consists in the provision of wherein the grain door is slidable into a closed position, in combination with a single loop lever adapted for moving the door into and out of closed position and adapted to be engaged by a'latching member, for holding the door,

locked.

Still another object consists in the provision of guides, with which the door engages, in combination with inclined flanges flanges of the door (which are beveled or inclined correspondingly to the flanges of the guides) so that the door may wedge into locked position.

A further object embodies a flange across the lower portion of the dooropening ex tending from one overlying flange of one of the guides to the opposite flange of the other guide, to act as means to prevent escape of the grain when the door is closed.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, and it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible to changes, and :he right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the :cope of what is claimed. 7

The invention comprises further features LDCl combination of parts, as will be herenafter set forth, shown in the drawings and laimed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

and an object is Patented In the drawings Figure l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a grain car, showing the improved grain door as applied thereto, showing thedoor in closed position,

Nov. 9, 1920.

2 is a view in side elevation of the side of a truck body, door as applied, and showing the door in an open position,

1 133 is a vertical sectional view on line 8-3 ofF 1g. 1, showing the door closed and locked, Fig. el- 18 a sectional Fig. 2, showing view on line 4:l of the door open, a portion of the single actuator being engaged by the upper part of the door, so as to act to open the door a substantial distance, and

*ig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lower end of one of the vertical side angle irons 3 showing how the inclined bent por tion 8 is formed. y

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a portion of a grain car which is provided with a grain door open-i ing 2. Extending vertically of the sideof the car and adjacent the door opening are angle members 3, which are arranged in order to form guides for the grain door. An angle iron 4 isarranged 111 a horizontal position and is secured to the at 5 so that oneof the side of the car as flanges thereof will to deflect the rain door.

The lower portions of the vertical angle irons 3 are bent upon themselves as shown shed,

act as a cover or at 6 and in order to accomplish this thelat i 90 eral flanges 7 of the guide angle irons are cut as shown at 8, thereby permitting the lateral flanges of those portions of, the bent to overlie or over guides which are lap the lateral flanges of the vertical fixed portions of the angle irons. It will be noted that the bent portions 9 of the side angle irons are inclined, and in order to attain this result, the lateral flanges of the fixed portions of the vertical guides are beveled off or inclined wvhere they are cut at? 8, whereby the bent portions 9 may engage therewith. The lateral flanges of the best portions 9 are bolted or riveted or otherwise secured at 11 to the lateral flanges of showing the improved side jambs of the and the like from the 'metal plate 26 are spaced from .door will be moved the fixed guides in order to insure a rigid construction and so that the bent portions 9 may act as abutment means, with which parts of the grain wedge, when the door is closed.

The protecting angle iron is secured to the lower part of the ear, and overlies thelower portion of the door opening and the in clined bent portions 9, in order to insure a rigid construction. T his protecting angle iron 12 is secured at-13 to the car, and the flange 1% is disposed or bent in order to'be engaged by the door to insure a firm position of the door when closed. The vertical angle irons 3 are secured at 15 to the side of the car.

A door actuating member or lever loop 16 is provided and it is constructed from a single length of rod material bent upon itself to, form the loop 17, the side arms of which have lateralparts 18. Beyond the lateral parts 18, the arms of the'loop are extended in parallelism, and in alinement with the arms of the loop as shown at 19. T heends ofthe portions 19 are bent laterally to provide the trunnions 20, which are fulcrumed in bearings 21 of the lateral flanges of the vertical guides or angle irons 3so that the lever loop be moved pivot-ally for the purpose of opening and closing the door. A grain door 22 is provided, and this door comprises .a frame having side angle pieces 23 and transverse pieces 24: and 23, which are riveted together and to which a sheet metal plate 26 is riveted, as shown T he vertical side edges of this sheet the lateral flanges of the frame of the door, a distance so that the plate may engage between the edges of the flanges of the bent portions 9 to assist in reinforcing the door. In other words, the sheet metal plate 26 is of a width sufficient to set between the edges of the flanges of the bent portions 9. Metallic loops27 are secured at 28 to the door and these loops are in turn pivotally mounted on the lateral parts 18 of theloop lever so that when the lever is moved upwardly, the from its guides, and

door may be withdrawn when the loop is moved downwardly, the l to a closed position, and when dHlOVQiltO a closed position, the bev eled edges 29 of the lateral flanges; of the sideangle irons of the door will wedge into contact with the flanges of the bent portions 9, and insure holding the doorin a rigid closed position, and be lower part of the sheet metal plate 26 will also wedge in contact with the flange 14: of the protecting angle strip.

Pivoted on the metal plate 26 as at 30 is a rotatable button or plate 31 provided with an arm 32. The armr32 is designed to overlie the lever loop, when swung to a downdoor are designed to ward position and the door closed in order to hold the door in a closed position and in a wedged contact with the bent portions 9 and the flange 1 1. Men it is desired to open the door it will be noted that the button may be rotated on its pivot in order. to move the arm 32 from a position over the lever loop. in which case the lever is free to be swung upwardly on its fulcrum. it will be noted that the portions of the arms of the lever loop between the trunnions 20 and the bent portions 18 will be so disposed with relation to the upper edge of the the lever is moved on its fulcrum for the purpose of opening the door, the upper edge of the door will contact with the portions of the arms between the'parts 18 and the trunnions 21) so that upon further movement of the lever loop, the door may be swung entirely openin an upward direction.

When the door is so opened it will assume a position at right angles to the lever loop. It willfbe observed that the door may be opened as above stated and. thentheloop maybe closed against the outer facelof, the door and lockedin such a position so that the door may swing outwardly and upwardly with the lever 'loop,'in fact the two will move together as one body. rangement and operation of the door is only attained when the lower .edge of the door has been disengaged from the bent portions 9 of the lower ends of the angle irons 3 When the door is so used, it will swing against the outer portions of the bent portions 9 and may be tilted outwardly .in order to permit the discharge of grain and to permit access to the interior of the car through the grain door opening.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a grain door for grain cars and the like, the combination with a door opening, of side angle irons constituting guides secured to the sides of the door adjacent the side openings, the lower ends of said guides having bent inclined parts, a lever fulcrumed in'bearings of the lateralflanges of door that vrhen This arnions of the lever and adapted to engage the guides, the trunnions of the lever being so offset from the pivots of the lever, as to constitute means to force of the door in contact with partsof the vertical guides, is closed.

the inclined 2. In a grain door for grain cars and,

the like, the combination with a door open: ing, of side angle irons constituting guides secured to the sidesof the door adjacent the side openings, the lower ends of said guides having bent inclined parts, a lever fulcrumed in "bearings of the lateral flanges the lower edge when the lever of the guides and provided with trunnions,

a grain door pivotally'mounted upon the trunnions of the lever and adapted to en gage the guides, the trunnions of the lever being so offset from the pivots of the lever, as to constitute means to force the lower edge of the door in contact with the inclined parts of the vertical guides, when the lever is closed, and means carried by the door to operatively engage thelever for holding the lever locked and the door closed.

In a device as set forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, guides adjacent the jambs of said opening, the lower ends of the guides having inclined parts, a grain door adapted to engage said guides and having inclined edges at their lower ends, adapted to wedge in contact with the inclined parts of the guides, a lever pivoted in the upper parts of said guides and having trunnions oifset fromthe pivots of the lever, means for pivoting the door on said trunnions, whereby when the lever is moved downwardly against the door the inclined parts of the lower portions of the door will wedge in contact with the inclined parts of the guides, and when the lever is moved upwardly and outwardly, the upper edge of the door will contact with portions the side arms of the lever for holding the door at right angles to the lever so that the door may be opened when the lever is moved upwardly and outwardly.

In a device as set forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, vertical guides adjacent the sides of the door opening, and having door retaining means at their lower ends, a door to engage-said guides and said retaining means, a lever pivotally mounted in the upper ends of the guides, said lever having trunnions offset from the pivots of the lever and to which the door is pivotally connected, whereby the lower portion of the door may be wedged into engagement withsaid retaining means when the lever is moved downwardly, and withdrawn when the lever is moved upwardly, the upper edge of the door adapted to engage portions of the sides of the lever between the trunnions and the pivot parts of the arms of the lever, so that when the lever is moved-upwardly the door will likewise move and will assume a position at right angles to the lever.

In a device asset forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, a vertical guide adjacent the sides of the door opening, and having door retaining means at their lower ends, a door to engage said guides and said retaining means, a lever pivotally mounted in the upper ends of the guides, said lever having trunnions offset from the pivots of the lever and to which the door is pivotally connected, whereby the,

lower portion ofthe'door may be wedged into engagement with a said retainin means when the lever is moved downwart ly, and withdrawn when the lever is moved upwardly, the upper edge of the door adapted to engage portions of the sides of the lever between the trunnions of the arms of the lever, so that when the lever is moved upwardly the door will likewise move and will assume a position at right angles to the lever, and means carried by the door to overlie the lever when swung downwardly in contact with the door to hold the lever and door locked.

6. In a device as set forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, guides adjacent the sides of the jambs of the door opening, a door engaging said guides'and provided with loops at its upper end, a lever pivotally mounted in the guides andhaving trunnions offset from the pivots of the lever and engaging said loops of the door, whereby upon moving the lever upwardly, the door may be withdrawn from the guides, the loops of the door being so arranged relatively to the arms of the lever whereby the upper edge of the door may contact with the arms of the lever, whereby the door may be swung outwardly and assume a position at right angles to the lever when being opened.

7. In a device as set forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, guides adjacent the sides ofthe jambs of the door opening, a door engaging said guides and provided with loops at its upper end, a lever pivotally mounted in the guides and having trunnions offset from the pivots of the lever and engaging said loops ofthe door, whereby upon moving the lever upwardly, the door may be withdrawn from the guides, the loops of the door being so arranged relatively-to the arms of the lever whereby the upper edge of the door may contact with the arms of the lever, whereby the door may be swung outwardly and assume a position at right angles to the lever when being opened, and means carried by the outer face of the door to hold the lever in contact with the door so that the door and lever may move as one body after the door has once been opened.

8. In a device as set forth, a grain car having a grain door opening, guides adjacent the sides of the jambs of the door opening, a door engaging said guides and provided with loops at its upper end, a lever pivotally mounted in the guides and having trunnions offset from the pivots of the lever and engaging said loops of the door,

whereby upon moving the lever upwardly,

the door may be withdrawn from the guides,

the loops of the door being so arranged relatively to the arms of the lever whereby and the pivot parts.

' the upper 5 being opened, means at of the door openlng and connected to the edge of the door may \oontact with the arms of the lever, whereby the door may be swung outwardly and assume it position at right angles to'the lever when the lower portion guides, for retaining the @lower end of the door in place,

and means carried by 'the outer .faee of the door to overlie the lever to hold the lever and the door locked.

signature.

den er A; r. JOHNSON. 

